Before I read the book, I was aware that supermarkets were selling low-quality olive oils marketed at "extra virgin" quality. However, I was not aware how rampant the fraud was in Europe (where I thought quality really mattered to people), even in the Mediterranean, the home of the olive tree.
In a book that reads like a novel, Mueller tells the story of Italian farmers continuing an art that goes back for generations; the story of honest Californian producers trying to stay competitive with the huge, fraudulent olive oil conglomerates; and the story of American entrepreneurs trying to reform USDA and International Olive Oil standards against all odds.
What's more, Extra Virginity reveals (or rather implies) the Mafia's involvement in the olive oil trade, in addition to incidences where critics or farmers were blackmailed into silence. Who knew that the production of such a commonplace commodity, one often taken for granted, was so fraught with danger!
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is concerned about the food they consume. I would even go as far as to say all consumers of olive oil should be made aware of the contents of this book. If American consumers knew that companies like Filippo Berio and Bertolli were defrauding them, they could force dishonest olive oil manufacturers out of business (or at least force them to change their ways), and give room to honest, smaller-scale farmers trying to make a living.
You can buy Extra Virginity here at The Gourmettes Store!
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